Candidates and campaigners urge May to act over turnout for PCC elections

Candidates and the Electoral Reform Society have written an open letter to the Home Secretary urging her to tackle the “rock bottom turnout” predicted for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in November.

The letter, which calls for a rethink of the way the elections are being run, comes amid fears that the turnout could be the lowest in British election history.

The signatories called on the Home Secretary to take some “common sense steps”, such as:

• Ensuring voters know the elections are happening and who the candidates are. The letter says information on candidates should be included in the mailshot being sent by the Electoral Commission to households;
• Raising awareness by “taking to the airwaves”. The letter said that with only three weeks from nominations closing to polling day, candidates must get maximum exposure;
• Pledging never to hold a major election in the winter again. This would help to improve turnout and reduce costs “in one fell swoop”.

Commissioners will be elected in 41 police areas across England and Wales using the supplementary vote system. 

The Police Federation has previously warned that low turnouts could lead to extreme candidates being elected.

In a blog entry, Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “The Home Office seems to think that if you build it, they will come, but we know this isn’t how elections work. If the Home Secretary is serious about people having a say she needs to listen to the warnings coming from all sides and take action now.”

The letter to Theresa May was also signed by Alun Michael MP, former Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Liberal Democrat London Mayor candidate Brian Paddick, and former Deputy Chair of the National Association of Police Authorities Ann Barnes.

The Electoral Commission warned the public today (27 September) that there was less than five weeks for people to register to vote in the PCC elections. The deadline to register is 31 October. 

Samantha Mills, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission, said: “These are new elections, taking place at an unfamiliar time of year and using a voting system that has not been widely used before. Our booklet will come through your letterbox at the end of October. It has all the information you need to cast your vote with confidence. This includes what the PCC elections are for, when they are taking place and how to vote.”

Mills added that the Commission's booklet would also contain details of the Government’s candidate information website, where voters will be able to find out who all of the candidates standing for election in their area are and read their election addresses.